Sales-register.



No. 713,926. Patented Nov. l8, I902.

W. F. A. TUTTLEBEN.

SALES REGISTER.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\FILLIAM F. A. TOTTLEBEN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOLIBEUS M. DENMAN AND STEPHEN B. BURWELL, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

SALES-REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,926, dated November18, 1 902.

Application filed March 3, 1902- Serial No. 96,503. (No model) To allwhom, it may concern:

Be it known that I,WILLIAM F. A. TOTTLE- BEN, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of 5Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Merchandise-Sales-Registering Devices, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in registers, such asareadapted for usein connection with merchandise of various kinds forindicating and registering the sales of individual articles, so that thenumber of articles sold or the number in stock at any I5 time may bereadily ascertained; and the object of the invention is to provide adevice of this general character of a simple and inexpensive nature andmore especially adapted for use in connection with cigars or otherarticles similarly packed in boxes and capable of registering each cigaror other article upon its removal from its box.

The invention consists in certain novel features of the construction,combination, and arrangement of the several parts of the improvedregistering device whereby certain important advantages are attained andthe device is made simpler, cheaper, and otherwise better adapted andmore convenient for 0 use, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings,which serve to illustrate my invention,Figure 1 is a plain view showing a registering device embodying myimprovements and adapted for use in connection with four boxes ofcigars, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken in the planeindicated byline CLCL in Fig. l and show- 0 ing certain features ofconstruction of the actuating mechanism of the improved registeringdevice. Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial section taken through one of thecigar-boxes and showing the means for holding the casing of theactuating mechanism to the box,the plane of the section being indicatedby the line I) I) in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial end View ofone of the cigar-boxes, showing the seal for preventing thedisengagement of the casing from the box. Fig. 5 is a detachedperspective View showing one of the means for securing the casing of theactuating mechanism to the cigar-box.

The improved registering. device when used, as herein shown, as aregister for cigars may be used with a single box or with any number ofcigar-boxes, the several parts being merely duplicated for eachcigar-box, so that the number of cigars sold or removed from each boxmay be readily ascertained, the registering device of each box operatingindependently of that of each other box. The device is also made to someextent adjustable, so that it may be used in connection with boxes ofdifferent sizes, such as are ordinarily employed for containingdifferent numbers of cigars.

As shown in the drawings, the device is designed for usein connectionwith four cigarboxes, there being two forward boxes at 0:, arranged endto end, and two rear boxes 00 00, also arranged end to end and behindthe boxes as w.

Ordinarily cigars are packed in boxes in rows or tiers, one row or tierabove another, and the number of rows or tiers difiering according tothe number of cigars which are in the box. In this way a box oftwenty-five cigars has its contents arranged in two tiers,

a box of fifty has its contents arranged in four tiers, and in a box ofa hundred cigars the contents are arranged in eight tiers. Assumingthere are thirteen cigars in each row or tier of a box, my improvedregistering device comprises a series of actuating mechanisms, one foreach cigar in the tier or row, and these actuating mechanisms areadapted to be operated upon the removal of the corresponding cigar ofthe tier or row in the box in such a way as to actuate an indicating or0 registering mechanism, as will be hereinafter explained. Theseactuating mechanisms are all exactly similar and are similarly mountedin each box, and for this reason a description of the parts connectedwith one of the cigarboxes will answer for those of the other boxes.

The actuating mechanisms of each box are mounted in a longitudinalseries on an elongated frame or casing 1, which may be formed from sheetmetalin rectangular cross-section, I0? as herein shown, and with acentral hollow or chamber in which the moving parts of the actuatingmechanisms are contained. The frame or casing 1 has at one end a hingeconnection, as shown at 2, with a bearing block or piece 3 at the upperend of a post or upright4, the lower end of which is secured upon thebottom of the show-case in which the cigar-boxes are arranged or uponany other supporting means. The post or upright 4 is of a height suchthat the frame or casing is supported in line with the upper edge of thecigar-boxes, and the hinge member upon the frame or casing is arrangedto extend across the top of the bearing-block 3, the end of the framebearing against one side of said block when the frame is in horizontalposition, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, so that said frame is held in ahorizontal direction to permit it to rest upon the upper edges of theends of the cigar-box.

Adjacent to the hinge connection of the frame or casingl the said framecarries a loop or slide 6, adjustable lengthwise along said frame orcasing and provided upon its under side, as shown in Fig. 5, withpointed projections or studs 7 7, adapted to be pressed into the upperface of the cigar-box end to hold that end of the cigar-box to the frameor casing. At the opposite end of the frame or casing are two dependingflanges 8 and 9, spaced apart from each other and adapted to take uponthe outer and inner surfaces of. the op posite end of the cigar-box, asshown in Fig. 3, the outer plate or flange 8 being formed withperforations through which may be passed pins or tacks 10, as shown inFig. 4, for securing that end of the cigar-box to the frame or casing.For preventing unauthorized removal of the device from the cigar-boxwhen once in a place thereon a seal 12 of any preferred kind may beapplied on the end of the box, one end of said seal being attached tothe end of the frame or casing l and the other end thereof beingextended down beyond the lower edge of the plate or flange 8 andattached to the end of the cigar-box, so that the frame or'casing cannotbe removed from the cigar-box without breaking said seal.

13 indicates a shaft journaled in the frame or casing 1 and extendedlongitudinally and centrally within the interior hollow thereof. Thisshaft 13 is adapted to be actuated by either one of the series ofactuating mechanisms above referred to in such a way that a partialrotative impulse is imparted to the shaft upon the removal of each cigarfrom the box..

Each of the actuating mechanisms comprises a ratchet wheel 14, fixedupon the shaft 13 and having its teeth adapted to be engaged by aspring-pressed dog or pawl 15, held on a disk or plate 16, loose uponthe shaft 13, alongside of the ratchet-wheel, said dog or pawl beingadapted to ride freely over the teeth of the ratchet-wheel when saiddisk or plate is turned in one direction, but being adapted to engagesaid teeth to impart a partial rotative movement to the shaft when thedisk or plate 16 is turned in the opposite direction. Upon the disk orplate 16 1s secured a spiing 17, coiled around the shaft and having oneend secured to the casing or frame 1, at the rear wall thereof, as shownat 18, while its forward end is extended through a "ertical slot oropening 19, formed in the front wall of the frame or casing, as clearlyshown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The forward end of the spring in front of the frame or casing 1 isextended to form one part or member 20 of a downwardly bent or curvedarm or finger, the other part or member 21 of which is formed of aseparate piece or strip of sheet metal. Each of the members 20 and 21 ofthe arm or finger is adapted to overlap the other member, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2, and each member has at its extremity a bent integral loop22, through which the other member of the arm or finger is passed andadapted for sliding movement in order to permit of lengthening orshortening said arm or finger. By this means it will be seen that themember 21 may be slid lengthwise over the member 20 in one direction inorder to lengthen the arm or finger, so as to adapt the device for usein connection with deep cigar-boxes, such as are used for containing onehundred cigars, or said member 21 maybe slid in the other direction toshorten the arm or finger to adapt the device for use in shallowcigar-boxes, such as are used for containing twenty-five or fiftycigars. The extremity of each member 21 carries a curved cross-piece 23,adapted to rest upon a cigar in the box, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3,and the arm or finger is pressed by the spring 17 down upon said cigar,so as to prevent the removal of the cigar from the box except by liftingthe said finger or arm against the tension of said spring.

At the hinged end of the frame or casing 1 the shaft 13 carries a bevelgear-wheel 24, adapted when said casing or frame is in its lowered orhorizontal position to mesh with a smilar bevel gear-wheel 25, carriedon the forward end of a shaft 26, journaled in the bearing block orpiece 3. From said block 3 the shaft 26 is extended rearwardly along theend of the cigar-box 00 behind the forward box x, and its rear end isinclosed and turns within a sleeve or hollow shaft 27, the forward endof which is journaled in a block or bearing-piece 3, similar to theforward block 3, but located at the end of the rear cigarbox 00. At saidblock 3 the sleeve 27 also has a bevel gear-wheel 25 in mesh with awheel 24 on the shaft 13-of the frame or casing 1 for the said rearcigar-box.

The rear end of the sleeve 27 is held to turn in a bearing 28 behind therear cigar-box x, and behind said bearing both said sleeve 27 and theshaft 26, which is passed through the sleeve, are provided withbevelgear-wheels 29 and 29 meshing with similar gears 30 and 31 upon theends, respectively, of a sleeve 32 and shaft 33, incased in the hollowof said sleeve,

which latter has a hearing at 34, as shown in Fig. 1. There is a shaft26 and sleeve 27 at each end of the series of boxes 00 and m, and fromthe gears at the rear ends of said shafts and sleeves the correspondingshafts and sleeves 33 and 32 are extended toward each other, beinginclosed at their adjacent ends within a casing 35, provided withsight-apertures 36, at which are adapted to appear the numbers of thedisks of the registers or counters, which may be of any preferred kind,there being, of course, an independent register or counter for each ofthe sleeves and shafts 32 and 33.

In the operation of the device when a cigar is removed from either ofthe boxes the arm or finger which rests upon such cigar must of coursebe raised against the tension of the corresponding coiled spring 17, apart of the upward movement of said arm or finger being imparted to thedisk 16, with which the spring is connected, to turn said disk in apartial rotation upon shaft 13, whereby the dog 15 is caused to slipbackward to the extent of one tooth over the peripheral surface of theratchet-wheel 14. When the cigar has been removed from beneath the armor finger of the actuating mechanism, the tension of the spring 17 isexerted to press the extremity of said arm or finger down upon thecorresponding cigar in the next lower tier or row of the cigar-box, andowing to the connection of said spring with the plate or disk 16 saidplate or disk will be returned to its forward position, the engagementof the dog 15 with the teeth of ratchet-wheel 14 serving toimpart apartial revolution to the shaft 13, which movement is in turn impartedthrough the gears and shafting above described to the correspondingregister or counter in the casing 35.

When the device is employed upon deep cigar-boxes, the arms or fingersof the actuating mechanisms will be lengthened by sliding the members 21along the members 20, so as to lengthen said arms or fingers to permit agreater movement thereof while swinging through the same angle. WVhen abox has been emptied of cigars, it may be readily removed by withdrawalof the tacks or pins 10 from the box end and breaking the seal 12, so asto permit of raising that end of the frame or casing 1, the pins 7 onthe loop 6 being readily withdrawn from the opposite end of the box whenthe casing is lifted. Another box may then be placed in position and thecasing lowered to a horizontal position above the same, whereupon thesecuring means may be reapplied, and the device then will be ready foruse to register cigars removed from the fresh box. The loop 6 may beadjusted on the casing to accommodate the device to boxes of differentlengths.

From the above description it will be seen that the improved registeringdevice constructed according to my invention is of an extremely simpleand inexpensive nature and is especially well adapted for use, since itregisters the removal of each cigar from the box and permits of readilyascertaining at any time the exact number of cigars in stock. It willalso be obvious from the above description that the device is capable ofconsiderable modification without material departure from the principlesand spirit of the invention, and for this reason I do not wish to beunderstood as limiting myself to the precise form and arrangement of theseveral parts of the device herein set forth, nor do I wish to beunderstood as limiting myself to the employment of the improvedregistering device in connection with cigars exclusively, since it willbe apparent that the device may also be used in connection with otherarticles of merchandise, especially such as are packed in boxessimilarly to cigars.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. A merchandise-registering device comprising a counter, a plurality ofactuating mechanisms each comprising a movable arm adapted to rest uponan article, a part with which said arm has connection, means to movesaid part and the arm in one direction to press the arm upon the articleon which it is rested and mechanism actuated when said arm and part aremoved downward by said moving means for operating said counter from theactuating mechanisms, substantially as set forth.

2. A merchandise-registering device comprising a counter, a plurality ofactuating mechanisms each comprising a movable arm having atits free endlaterally-extended portions adapted to rest upon an article, a part withwhich said arm has connection, and means to move said part and the armin one direction to press the free end of the arm upon the article onwhich it is rested, a shaft actuated from each of said actuatingmechanisms when the arm and part are moved downward by said moving meansand devices for operating the counter from said shaft, substantially asset forth.

3. A merchandise-registering device comprising a counter, a plurality ofactuating mechanisms each comprising an extensible arm adapted to restupon an article and means for operating said counter from said actuatingmechanisms, substantially as set forth.

4. A merchandise-registering device comprising a counter, a plurality ofactuating mechanisms, a casing hinged at one end and inclosing saidactuating mechanisms and adapted when in a horizontal position to beextended across the top of a cigar-box or the like, means for holdingthe free end of said casing to a cigar-box or the like, a shaft extendedthrough the casing and operated from said actuating mechanisms and meansfor operating the counter from said shaft, substantially as set forth.

1 5. A merchandise-registering device comprising a counter, a pluralityof actuating IZO mechanisms, a casing hinged at one end and on which theactuating mechanisms are carried, a shaft journaled on the casing anddriven from the actuatingmechanisms, means for operating the counterfrom said shaft and a loop mounted for sliding movement on the casingand having pins for engagement with the end of a cigar-box or the like,substantially as set forth.

6. A merchandise-registering device comprising an upwardly-extendedbracket having a shaft bearing at its upper part, a shaft held to turnin said shaft-bearing and provided with a gear-wheel, a counteroperatively connected with said shaft, a casing having hinged connectionwith said bracket and

